Sad news for fans of Jemma

Jemma aboard Princess Lucy

The greatest little boat dog in the world passed away this evening. Anyone who has owned a pet will know how it feels to face up to the fact that they are near the end of their lives. Seeing them struggling and knowing that there is nothing to be done is very hard. The kindest and bravest act is to put them to sleep but this is truly awful. You can keep putting this moment off but this morning we decided that Jem was in too much distress to carry on. She had trouble breathing, walking, sitting, seeing and hearing. All those ailments together add up to a miserable existence.

She has had the most fantastic life roaming the Peak District and in the past year exploring the canal network. She loved every minute of her life until it reached the point that she couldn't enjoy it anymore. We have no idea how old she was but we rescued her in 1999 and thought she might between 1 and 2 years old then. That would make her 15 or 16 - a terrific age for a canine.

Jemma with Lucy on 16th March

This is the last photograph of Jemma. It was taken this weekend when the real Princess Lucy came to stay. She is pottering about on the end of a leash quite happily with Lucy. A visit from our little angel was much appreciated. She was, as usual, very sweet and gentle with poor Jem . She understood that Jem was old and slow and couldn't see very well and was the perfect companion. It was lovely to see them together especially as we knew this would almost certainly be the last time Lucy would see Jemma.

We will carry her memory through this blog. It will always be Jemma's blog.

Oak Heaven

Jemma has been a bit quiet on the blogging lately. Truth is she is old and very very snoozy. Not much has being going on in terms of cruising in NB Princess Lucy. Jem has had a couple of brief visits but only to check up on the work in progress. Rocky's walks have taken him even further afield to check up on work at Bugsworth Basin which is drained and walls are being rebuilt.

What has been going on, is a fair amount of work. The TV has been moved to a better position under the gunwale and is now sitting in a rather fetching 1960s style unit. There is now a solid oak floor throughout. It looks very good indeed. Not quite like a new Braidbar, but not far off. After battling with the mud covered beige carpet over Christmas, the clean, warm and utterly serviceable oak is just heavenly. We have replaced the grubby old steps and boxed in all the 'dust trap' piping round the toilet. So the oak is seamless and makes the boat look bigger. 

We are similarly thrilled with the brand new Ikea sewing machine, which allows us to create curtains,cushion covers, even throws for the seating area. It was going to cost hundreds of pounds to have new saloon curtains made and we certainly can't afford to have professionally made covers for the seating. A modest investment of £45 meant that we could buy ready made lined curtains and just take them up and modify throws for the seats. It will look fine. More pictures to followr. 

Plans for the future include a refit to the galley which is to include a compact automatic washing machine. Why is this exciting? Because it means that if we can do a bit of washing, then we can go away for longer. A bad thing about the journey home last year was having to come home with 2 weeks washing including clothes, 2 lots of bedding, lots of towels, dog blankets. It took some time to recover from that as first mate is accustomed to keeping on top of the laundry

There are enormous technical issues to tackle to do with power consumption and involving a pure sine wave inverter. Captain is sanguine about resolving these.

Note from Captain: Yes, this (Candy Aquamatic 100F) washing machine has a peak load of 1300 watts which although low compared to most machines, still takes a hefty draw on the batteries - even with the engine running. It is the heating cycle that hurts. In fact the rest of the functions - spinning - draining and so on are insignificant by comparison. Now, washing machines only ever take hot water in on washes 60 degrees and above, so on most programmes we would be heating water from cold. The devious plan is to permanently  feed mixed (25 to 30 degrees) water into the cold fill. This will significantly reduce the heating time (with most washes 40 or 30 degrees), and therefore reduce battery drain by a massive amount.

With the floor laid, we are hoping to have a massive spring clean and go away at Easter. That is if Jem is up to it and if the weather is somewhat kinder than last Easter. 

Christmas on Princess Lucy

Marple

We realise that conversations with passing helmsmen are like ones with your dentist: fleeting and unfinished.

At the very moment we were untying to leave Marple, the man on the only other moving craft shouted "You don't want to go anywhere in this. I wouldn't if I didn't have to."

We replied to him, but he was gone.

Hovis Mill, Macclesfield

The combination of his advice and the palpable feeling of wet and wind (to which he referred) necessitated some quick rethinking in the Princess Lucy saloon. Surrounded by muddy towels and muddier dogs, it seemed that staying in Marple for an extra day would be advisable. We kicked back and rearranged planned visits from family so that we could entertain them in Marple rather than Disley. We swapped restaurant bookings at Sasso for Dolce Vita. It is all part of narrowboat life and it worked out fine.

Overall though, the weather was much kinder than our interpretation of the met office symbols suggested. Perhaps we need to understand the meaning a bit better. The three hour forecast periods often had a heavy rain cloud symbol, and an 80% chance of rain, but presumably that means an 80% chance of any rain during that 3 hour period, so it could be just 5 minutes? Indeed it often was. We had several days of lovely sunshine and crisp winter weather.

At Sutton Lane, it was such an honour to receive a visit from the real Princess Lucy who decided to make a break from the paparazzi just when she was called to the photo shoot. In this picture, her cute little face is horribly distorted by the effort to escape from the limelight.

One highlight of our week away was probably being stranded in Marple and unexpectedly finding the 'Dolce Vita' restaurant. On a wet and windy 30th December we booked a table at 6:30 thinking that on the night before new year's eve, no one would venture out. However, it was full and we actually had to wait for someone to vacate our table. We have now found three superb restaurants in Marple: Murillo's (tapas), Marple Spice (Indian) and now Dolce Vita.

Poynton on Boxing Day

The lowlight, I think, was the mud. With 2 dogs and the 2 of us, that gives 12 legs to mess up the place, and it was a constant battle to keep the boat from looking like a farm yard. We just about managed it. On Christmas night, we had a running buffet and sat down with bubbly and a lovely fire to watch 'It's a Wonderful Life.'

Jemma really perked up on the trip. A week before, she had major dental surgery that left her in some pain. We observed her turn a corner in her recovery when she realised that she would be sniffing along some of her favourite tow paths. She couldn't decide which were best - Marple, Macclesfield, Poynton or Sutton Lane? We think it was probably Sutton Lane given how long she spent mooching about there. She looked happy for the first time in months. Rocky B. had some lovely off-leash runs too.

When we planned the trip, we wondered if he would be able to come off his lead but Marple, Poynton and Macclesfield proved to have fabulous, safe and varied walks for a young greyhound. There were woods, disused railway lines, lock flights and no farm life.It was blissful. He met lots of other dogs and had a fine old time showing off in his selection of winter coats. He also had something of a holiday romance. The friendly landlord of The Wharf Inn at Macclesfield introduced him to his gorgeous lurcher cross - Chloe. Rocky was smitten and I have a feeling we might have to go back there soon. So definitely a success for the doggies who care nothing about how muddy it all gets.

First Prize for boat Decoration at Furness Vale

Some things were never in the Princess Lucy budget but just sneaked in. We have a lovely Christmas tree on the bow that has already survived an 80 mile an hour gale. To celebrate the fact that it is still there we have added (LED) Christmas lights.

We appear to be the only decorated boat at Furness Vale Marina, and as such, we claim our prize. Unlike Pillings Lock, the marina has no liveaboards, and many of the boats are winterised, so perhaps this is not surprising.

The plan this time is to spend Christmas week on the boat. We will not be going far, but if the weather forecast is correct, far enough to experience the rain and gales and spill a few strangers' sherries as we helplessly bump into their carefully moored boats.

36 lock free miles on the Macclesfield and Upper Peak Forest canals is the challenge. And with eight days allocated, the maths (4.5 miles per day) makes it sound easy. I hope so.

Convalescing aboard will be Jemmathedog. A few days ago she had 4 teeth removed. But with 2 gone from one side, 1 the other side and one at the front, it has really left her no safe place to chew and she is wandering around the house looking glum and confused. Perhaps some fresh sniffs on previously unexplored towpaths will be the tonic she needs.



Our tonic will hopefully be some lazy days on the boat interspersed with some short dog walks (for Jemma) and longer dog walks (for Rocky), meeting up with family and friends to include some meals out at Sasso (Disley), Murillos (Marple), Sutton Hall (Gurnett Aqueduct), Lazeez Indian (Macclesfield), and just maybe the odd pint in the Wharf and Waters Green Taven at Macclesfield.

Unless there are any other entries, we we will celebrate our self awarded first prize for Christmas boat decoration at Furness Vale with a small sherry! No one else seems daft enough to be on board.

Before and After

Nothing hip about this bath

When we bought our boat, there were things we loved and a couple of things which almost put us off. What we liked particularly was the warmth afforded by the ash panelling, the large stern deck area for socialising, and the big bed in the aft cabin. The bathroom and lack of stove were the serious downsides. The multi-fuel stove went in first and made the saloon into a cosy space. But the issues with the old bathroom have taken until now to resolve.

The first mate's sister says we are spoiled and that is was fine, but the truth is that we both loathed the dismal, dingy feel of the bathroom. It was so dark, and the fittings were old, bog standard Canaltime.

Hot shower anyone? And where's my drink?

You can see them again and again in boats of this age. It was screaming hire boat, looking tired and lacking personality. We had to steel ourselves to go in there for a wash and brush up mainly because in the long dark days of last winter, you could barely see to do anything.

Ta dah! This weekend, we stayed at the marina in order to add some finishing touches to the newly fitted bathroom. Apart from the floor that will be replaced when we do the rest of the boat, it is finished and quite transformed.

Wind, rain, sweat and toil, bring it all on. 

Gone is the one miserable down lighter, the beige aqua panel, grubby sealant and plastic hip bath. There was absolutely nothing 'hip' about that bath. It looked like something invented for a Victorian water treatment. You could just imagine an under weight consumptive being lowered onto one of its ledges.

Now it's all bright and cheery, tiled and chromed. It is very warm and welcoming with its heated towel radiator and thermostatically controlled shower. The first thing that young Rocky did was get into the shower but it is definitely not for him or Jem. This is for grown-ups after a long day's cruising.

Whilst one crew member shakes a cocktail in the galley, the other can be foaming away the grime of the day in our mini spa.

Shape Shifting Leaf Monster

We went to the boat this weekend and definitely against our better judgement given the forecast of heavy rain. We just about managed to dodge a soaking for a cheeky night out to Whaley Bridge. It was worth it given an amazing curry at Zayka. The food is so different there. 

But then again, we keep meeting the unexpected. It wasn't the rain that we fell foul of. On the short trip from Furness Vale to Whaley and on our return, we fell into a black hole at the junction between Whaley and Bugsworth. A black hole where the tiller stops working and a boat on full forward power - goes backwards. A boat ahead of us was being manhandled out of the same predicament which will be hereafter known as the Bugsworth Bermuda triangle. We were forced to stop only to suffer the same fate. We hadn't run aground, as we first thought, as the boat could rock about happily.

We eventually fathomed it, and our theory was confirmed on reading the blog of NB Star, which is copied here:

The boat gradually loses power with all the symptoms of a plastic bag wrapped round the propeller  Yet look in the weed hatch, as I did several times, and there's nothing.

 After being reduced to a virtual standstill while trying to pass a line of moored boats the mystery was finally resolved when a fierce bout of alternately reversing and going forwards saw a cloud of leaves appear from the rear.

A passing boater who watched confirmed "it's leaves; they wrap all round the prop". And of course, when you stop to check the weedhatch, they just drop off again!

We might be more understanding the next time a train is delayed because of  'leaves on the line.' This is what shape shifting is all about - disappearing and reappearing as something frightening and unfathomable by all rational means. 

Rocky continued to learn about what goes on with canals and he must have been mystified by Princess Lucy's backwards motion because of the leaf soup. He patrolled vigorously but was quite well behaved on the stern deck and at least didn't try to launch himself off at every narrow or duck crossing. We left Jemma to rest down below and no doubt sigh heavily. She must be fed up of the young Rocky getting all the attention. Like us, she was young and flighty once. Here is a picture of a youthful Jemma with our gorgeous late and great rescue dog Crystal.

It is fair to say that Jemma is looking more portly,or stately, or any other suitable euphemism, than her younger self. Sadly, so do we. 

Narrowboat Alchemy: Turning Pine into Ash

Princess Lucy is lined with ash, and she looks very nice. However modifications and improvements are needed in some areas, and any new wood really needs to match the old wood.

Having searched the world for a local (and affordable) source of ash, and failed, I set about looking at alternatives. Staining or colouring pine seemed to be the obvious solution. The grain patterns are not too different, so it's just about getting the right 'colour.' The internet, where I fully expected to see a man on YouTube giving me the precise answer also failed me, so without boring you about the precise steps along the way, I will go straight to the answer.

Coloured varnish was the answer. But Beech varnish proved a bit to yellowy or orangey, although fairly close, and Medium Oak varnish was a bit too grey and mucky, although again fairly close. The answer was a 50/50 mix of beech and light oak (I used Wilkos) followed by gloss yacht varnish.

The result (of a part of the new shower surround) is shown here.

Next week: "Lead to Gold" using 2H pencils from Woolworth's and a tin of Red Cardinal Polish.

Jem shows Rocky the ropes

We decided to have a night away on the boat this weekend to see how Rocky would cope with eating and sleeping aboard Princess Lucy. More to the point, to find out how we would cope with 2 dogs with very different 'issues' in such a tight space. Jemma can't manage the steps and has to be lifted in, and out of, the saloon whereas it proved almost impossible to keep Rocky in. He really is a racing snake and slithered out of the front hatch in a nano-second but fortunately only ran to find the Captain who was in the process of ferrying things to and from the Landrover. When we got under-way to Whaley Bridge, we had both dogs up top and there was quite a tangle of leads and tripping hazards. It occurred to us that this may have been the first time that Rocky had seen water or ducks before. It was certainly his first experience of moving at walking speed.

The narrows proved a particular challenge as we tried to stop him from stepping off every time the bank appeared close enough. It's fair to say, that Jemma was showing off by playing the old sea dog (this is a complete lie as she has been the biggest pain in the neck up top before). We got to Whaley and had a lovely walk up the old railway incline and then fed them, got ready and went out for dinner. In spite of trying to wear Rocky out and putting on the radio, he barked and barked as we walked away. Fortunately we weren't moored near any other boats.

It was all a bit stressful and this was followed by a terrible dinner at Memories of India. There was a complete amnesia about the importance of good service. We waited well over an hour for starters, then nearly as long again for our main courses. By this time, we had drank most of the wine and were past caring about whether the food was good, bad or indifferent. The answer to the delays became apparent as we saw huge cauldrons of food disappearing outside followed by most of the waiting on staff. We guessed they were providing catering for an outside function whilst we sat waiting patiently for our meal in an increasingly deserted restaurant. We must have become invisible and trying to catch the attention of the one remaining waiter failed.  A long drawn out meal was the last thing we needed on the first occasion of leaving the two dogs on the boat. As it happened, they were fast asleep when we got back so there was no harm done. After a bedtime walk and cuddle, they both slept peacefully all night.

The next morning we woke to glorious sunshine and headed for Bugsworth Basin. As usual, we were in complete ignorance of the fact that there was an event on: this time a steam rally, and we couldn't find a place to tie up. We only wanted to go there to let Rocky have a run but it was very crowded. so we went back to Furness Vale. En route, we had never seen so many happy shiny people using the tow path for leisure purposes. Walking, jogging, cycling, ambling. We had pleasant discourse with other dog lovers who admired the new addition to our canine crew. One lovely little girl shouted at us from a bridge "Wow a boat and a dog!".

So all in all, not a bad first time cruising for Rocky. He even lay down in the sunshine on the Stern deck as we headed back home. Jem seemed happy to be the old hand who could show him the ropes. We viewed this performance with more than a little irony.

A Great Uncle Receives Very Important Visitors

Some visitors to Princess Lucy are very special indeed. Some time ago, the captain received a polite request from James and Harriett White, great nephew and great niece, to visit the boat. A day was arranged right at the fag-end of the summer holidays. Oh how the Captain worried about these V.I.P. twins and whether everything would be ship shape for their arrival. The itinerary was planned, a short cruise to the historic Bugsworth Basin and preparations for the twins were made. Up to the last minute, the Captain paced the floor, racked by persistent doubts: would they be bored? Would they be underwhelmed by this little boat? Would the Peak Forest Canal hold enough to entertain such important little ones?

Well, as it happened the sun shone and the twins were an absolute joy to have aboard. James even managed to steer the boat - without being able to see over the top of her. Quite a feat. They found peeping the horn and feeding the ducks a right laugh.

They marvelled at everything including the labyrinthine basin at Bugsworth.

Such is the joy of being a child. Everything is potentially fascinating when you are open to new adventures. They, or possibly their mum, Shelley, brought a picnic and they were absolutely no trouble at all. In fact they were the opposite. They proved to be a 'great' niece and nephew in every sense of the word. A complete success, and of course this was much to the relief of their GREAT Uncle!

I don't do floors

 
The planned trip to Sutton Lane along the lock-free Upper Peak Forest and Macclesfield canals was aborted due to bad weather. There was also some uncertainty as to whether our new rescue dog, Rocky the greyhound, would need more time to settle into our house routine before tackling life aboard. The weather had the final say but we had thought maybe a little spin to Bugsworth Basin or Whaley would provide some familiarisation and lifeboat training. But even this was abandoned due to quite heavy rain that had not been forecast by the Met Office.

Fair weather sailors we may be, and in the end an afternoon snooze (grown-ups and doggies) and the fitting of the DAB radio was all we could manage. Except there is no DAB coverage at our mooring in Furness Vale! We were at least able to play our music downloads through the speaker system which runs throughout the boat.

We just couldn't keep Rocky off the fixed seating and a website for greyhounds suggests that they just 'don't do sleeping on floors.' Funny because Jem was just the same when we got her. After the first night, we found her trying to sleep on a hard backed dining chair instead of the fluffy dog bed we had provided. Now, of course, she is too elderly to jump up on sofas like the young Rock star but we keep reminding her that, at his age, she was just as annoying. 

After a visit to the vets for micro-chipping which was also abandoned due to Rocky's extreme reaction, we've all just about had enough for one day. So we will now settle down with a fire and a glass of something chilled to watch Harry H. Corbett in the 1964 canal-based film called The Bargee. It is only thanks to someone tweeting that Brian of Alton (coalboat) bears more than a passing resemblance to this famous Steptoe and Son actor, that we discovered the film.